THE FIGHT against crime shifted up a gear as police began a new operation in Lancashire using laser technology to track down criminals as they drive.

Codenamed Project Laser, Lancashire Constabulary's new operation uses new Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology which can scan passing motor vehicle registration numbers and check them against local and national databases, including the Police National Computer and the DVLA (Driver Licensing and Vehicle Agency).

One use for the system will be to deter car theft, police said.

If a car has been reported stolen, when its number plate is scanned the system will recognise it and alert officers who can then stop the car and make further inquiries.

According to a force spokesman, the ANPR technology has been in use 'for some time' and is viewed as a 'powerful tool for detecting crime'.

Past successes include Operation Atlanta in December, resulting in 110 arrests and recovery of more than £50,000 worth of stolen vehicles in east Lancashire.

Lancashire's assistant chief constable Julia Hodson said: "Our aim is simply to deny criminals the use of our roads and we will do this by targeting persistent offenders and bringing more people to justice.

"The ANPR system allows us to identify vehicles that we know are being used by drug dealers or criminals and we can keep track of them."

She described equipment as a 'cost effective tool' and said Project Laser "is all about fighting crime and putting highly visible police officers on our streets.

"It is important, though, to remember that a vehicle will only be stopped where our intelligence suggests it is appropriate. Law abiding citizens have nothing to fear from ANPR," she added.